The present disclosure relates to a microscopy system, a microscopy method, and a computer-readable recording medium.
In the field of biology, medicine, and the like, there is a user need that when observing a thick object such as a cell nucleus or a stem cell by using a biological microscope having a focal depth level of several tens of μm, users want to promptly specify a region of interest located in a depth direction (Z direction) along the optical axis of an observation optical system. In response to such a need, there is known a technique with which a plurality of images having different focal planes is acquired by performing sequential imaging while shifting the focal position of the observation optical system along the optical axis, and based on the plurality of images, an all-in-focus image that is focused at each position in the Z direction is generated. The plurality of images having different focal planes acquired in this way is also collectively called a Z stack image.
Examples of the method of generating an all-in-focus image include a method of restoring, using a blur function, a multi-focus image generated by superimposing Z stack images, and a method of extracting a focal area from each of a plurality of images having different focal planes and performing composition. Hereinafter, each image having a different focal plane is also referred to as a slice image. For example, JP 2014-21489 A discloses a technique with which a focusing degree within each slice image is calculated, a candidate area to be combined is selected based on the focusing degree, weighting is performed on the candidate area according to the focusing degree, and composition is performed.
With such an all-in-focus image, the user may instantaneously grasp a position of a structure in the Z direction in the object on a two-dimensional XY plane.
Furthermore, as a technique related to the all-in-focus image, for example, JP 2014-21490 A discloses a technique with which a user may select, through a user interface, an area for an all-in-focus image generated from a Z stack image, and thus a slice image focusing the area is displayed.